


And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be

by Xazz



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Adopted Children, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, First Kiss, First Time, Flirting, Fluff, Gift Giving, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Kissing, M/M, Sad Fluff, Teasing, brief mention of suicide (it happens off screen), respectful of boundaries, slightly canon divergent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:35:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29785857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Xazz
Summary: He was the most beautiful thing Jaren had ever seen. Even when the Dark came for him.
Relationships: Jaren Ward/Dredgen Yor, Male Guardian/Shin Malphur
Kudos: 12





	1. That if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, hello, can I interest you in a VERY sad bullshit ship? Yes? Great! Because that’s all that’s here! 
> 
> Also Destiny timeline? Shin lore? What’s that? We just fuck around.

He’d never been to the City before. He’d been hearing rumors and whispers about it for years, but never seen it himself.

It was somehow bigger than he imagined, but smaller than he’d hoped. A group of Risen as big and scary as any Warlords he’d ever seen were watching the gate. Bristling with weapons, keeping an eye on people going in and out. Making sure trouble was kept at bay.

Trouble like Jaren Ward.

He was stopped at the gates. “Hey friend, what do you think you’re doing?”

“We don’t recognize you.”

He kept his hands visible, away from the iron at his hip so they knew he wasn’t here for a fight. Or that was the hope. With a Risen it could quickly turn into a Light storm. Hopefully these City Risen weren’t as temperamental or confrontational as the Iron Lord’s who’s territory he’d gone through a week and a half ago. “Just came in from the wilderness.”

“You Iron Lord?”

“That’s a stupid question. Look at him,” they nudged the idiot. “He look like an Iron Lord, Warlord?”

“I’m unaffiliated,” Jaren said simply. “Just passing through.”

The Risen looked between each other. “Foreign Lightbearers can’t just come into the City.”

Jaren looked up at the Traveler. “Can’t even come see the Traveler? You guys hogging it all for yourself?”

There was some conferring between the Risen on guard. Jaren just waited. He’d just turn around if it came to any hostility. “We’ve alerted our Commander about you being here. He’ll decide if you’re allowed within the Walls.”

“Sure,” Jaren shrugged.

He waited out of the way. The Risen here were well organized and better equipped than anything he’d seen outside of the Iron Lords. But the Iron Lords weren’t as hospitable to outsiders. You cross into Iron Lord territory out in Old Russia and you better bring a gun, and keep it out. Jaren didn’t care about any of their organization. He was part of the wilderness, the dark wilds. Nothing like this place. He didn’t see many Risen like him wanting to be a part of a City, there weren’t any in the gate guards.

He waited a _while_ before the Risens’ Commander appeared. He wore heavy plate armor with a symbol he’d never seen on his giant shoulder pauldrons. Unlike the other Risen he didn’t wear a helmet either so everyone could see his face.

“You that Lightbearer my Guardians told me about?” Jaren stared up at the Lightbearer. He’d never seen someone more beautiful in his entire life. Was that why he didn’t wear a helmet? He was human, very tall and wide from the plate, with short cropped light hair and a middling complexion. Jaren had never noticed looks before, there wasn’t a lot of people out in the wilds to interact with when you were a relic hunter like Jaren, but in that moment he was aware of how utterly, distractingly, gay he was. “Hello?”

Jaren snapped out of it. “Oh, yes. That’s me,” he said.

“What’s your name and business here, friend?”

“Jaren Ward, I... came to see the City, and the Traveler,” he said, at least truthful.

He frowned and even that looked good on him. “I’m afraid the City isn’t open to non Guardians-

“What’s a Guardian?”

“Lightbearers who stand with the City.”

Shit Jaren would stand with anything if it was led by a face like that. “How’s one get to be a Guardian?”

The Guardian Commander was taken aback by the question. “Why? You interested?”

“I’m a relic hunter, wouldn’t be the worst gig in the world,” Jaren shrugged. “At least if invitations are open? Not like those damn Iron Lords.” The Guardian’s eyes narrowed. Ah, good to know, they didn’t like those Wolves either.

“All Lightbearers are welcome to become Guardians, so long as they give up any previous affiliation.”

“Cool,” Jaren held out his hand. “I’m unaffiliated, I’d be a Guardian.”

The Guardian looked at him with a scrutinous eye, seeking deception. “We’re always happy to have another Hunter in our midst,” and he shook Jaren’s hand.

“And how do I refer to you Commander-“

“Rezyl Azzir, Guardian Commander for the Last City.”

“Pleasure,” Jaren said. Then Rezyl showed him past the gates into the City.

—

After bringing refugees to the City the first thing Jaren always did was eat like half his weight in food. It was often touch and go out there and you couldn’t just fly. Flying over other affiliated airspace, or Fallen occupied territory, was a good way to get shot out of the sky and ships weren’t in such a ready supply losing one wouldn’t be severely missed. So it was all by foot, back and forth. There was a Guardian mess near the base of one of the new Walls going up. Bigger than any Jaren had seen before.

He let the Titans deal with the refugees once inside City limits. His task was done. The Pilgrim Guard would make sure the Lightless would get fed, found a place to rest their heads, and were given provisions. Jaren just had to worry about feeding himself. He’d spend a few months here and prep for his next venture out. He’d heard about some little town at the edge of Blasphemous Act territory up north. He was still of the opinion they should just go up there and smoke ‘em out. They were worse than those Warlords or Iron Lords.

He was so caught up in his next expedition while also shoving all the food he’d missed the past few weeks getting from Gavera to the City that he missed the sound of boots coming up behind him until there was a hand on his shoulder. “Jaren,” Rezyl said and Jaren looked up, looking _very_ undignified with his mouth full.

He swallowed thickly, “Commander,” he said.

“Finally back from the wilds?” He didn’t wait for the yes. It was rhetorical. This entire stupid conversation was rhetorical. Jaren vaugly wondered what this one would be about. “I assume you’ve seen the new Walls?” Jaren nodded. “When you’re done here you should go take a closer look.”

“When I’m done,” Jaren agreed. This was so stupid.

“We need you scouting expertise on some of it. Come see me after you’ve had your look,” and he squeezed Jaren’s shoulder. Then he left.

A few Guardians in the vacant mess were staring. “What?” Jaren asked, going back to his meal.

“Was that Commander Azzir?”

“Yeah. And?”

“What the fuck he talking to some Hunter for?”

Jaren shrugged. “Just being useful.” He finished his meal up quickly to avoid the befuddled looks by the Titans on break. He’d come back for a late dinner.

“Walls, or office?” Jaren asked his Ghost who was nestled in the cloth of his hood.

“He did make a big deal about the new Walls,” his Ghost said quietly. “They are very big,” they both looked up at the towering Walls. The City’s current Walls were only a dozen or so feet tall. These new ones were hundreds of feet tall and could only be assembled with the help of the Light.

“Fallen have skiffs,” was all Jaren said. The Walls were to make the Lightless feel better more than anything. “Other Risen factions have ships.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” his Ghost scolded him gently. “It’s the message.”

“Yeah,” Jaren didn’t get the whole thing with displaying a message. That was probably why he spent most of his second life out in the wilderness, opening old caches, bringing relics back to civilization to whoever would pay the most. Didn’t matter back then. Whoever had the most Glimmer was who got the bauble. What they did with it was beyond Jaren’s scope of giving a shit. The City was... different. But damn if relic hunting wasn’t a lot more interesting than scouting refugees.

“Top of the Wall you think?”

“I’ll check,” his Ghost shimmered away. Jaren leaned against the huge Wall and waited. This close to it there were only Guardians. As a lone Hunter he wasn’t given much notice. Then his stomach dropped out from under him when he was teleported.

“I hate when you fucking do that,” he said as soon as he was whenever he was supposed to be, eyes finding his Ghost instantly.

“It was faster,” his Ghost said and unlike usual didn’t hide in his hood. Instead he floated off to where Rezyl’s Ghost was doing laps around the top of the Wall like a restless tiger. Rezyl was standing on the Wall looking out across the City. The Wall was so tall the people below were specks of dust, he could hardly see them. Meaning they could hardly see them up here.

“Your Wall is outrageously tall,” Jaren said, stepping over to Rezyl.

“It makes them feel safe,” Rezyl said. “And is that all you think?”

“You got a lot done while I was gone,” he looked up and down the mile or so of Wall that had been constructed in the year and a half he’d been gone, hands on his belt.

“It’s what we can do when we work together,” Rezyl said, always the optimist. He looked over at Jaren. “What’s with the face?”

“The song and dance,” he said, arms folded. It was annoying. They weren’t private about it but also weren’t public about it.

“It’s just none of their business,” Rezyl said.

“You could just have Vincent tell my Ghost. Save the theatrics or your nosy ass Titans wondering why you’re paying any mind to a refugee Hunter.”

“I know. But I like laying eyes on you as soon as you’re in the City,” his damn handsome face was so charming. It was impossible to be mad at him for more than five seconds. “And don’t mind them, they’re just jealous.” Well yeah! Jaren knew that. He’d have been fucking jealous too if their handsome Commander was giving some hardly ever in the City Hunter a personal call to talk about the Walls too.

“Well you laid eyes on me,” Jaren said, moody still. But it got him what he wanted. Rezyl leaned down and pressed his mouth against Jaren’s, holding the back of his neck gently. For a Titan who could and had snapped entire Fallen in half and spent the majority of his time not keeping the City safe running Crucible matches Rezyl always had the gentlest hands for Jaren. “And that.”

“I’ve got more to lay on you if that’s what you want-

Jaren shoved him, Rezyl only moved because he wanted to, and laughed. Jaren’s face was red. “Lemme at least get a night’s sleep before you spend the rest of my time here keeping me up,” he scolded him.

“Only because you spend so much time away from me,” Rezyl said and looped an arm around Jaren’s waist.

“It’s too quiet here, even with you bumbling around at all hours of the day and night,” Jaren said.

Rezyl lowered his face down to Jaren’s. “How long are you staying with me this time?”

He hated when Rezyl did this. It was impossible to think when he was that close. “Uh— I dunno. I haven’t picked a place I wanted to go investigate yet,” he said, completely forgetting about his plans for scouting around the edge of Blasphamous Act’s territory.

“We shall make the most the time you are here then, hmm?”

“Sounds good to me,” and he was glad Rezyl kissed him again. That meant he didn’t have to be distracted by his stupid beautiful face.

—

It was deep night when Jaren woke up to another nightmare. He sat up in bed, the refurbished air con rattling in the wall. Didn’t matter. He was sweating. He knew Hunters had nightmares. He kept having the same one. A white hellscape, pocketed with craters. Earth’s moon. It was empty of anything but it filled him with such dread that he woke up. He rubbed the side of his face and looked over.

The bed next to him was empty. Typical.

Jaren rolled out of bed and picked at some of the armor and clothes on the floor, looking for something not three sizes too big. He eventually found his pants and yanked them on as he walked out of the bedroom. In the cramped quarters of Guardian’s barracks windows were a luxery. As Commander Rezyl got two.

Rezyl was sitting at one of the windows, looking out and up at the thick crescent moon. “Rez,” he said. Rezyl looked over his shoulder. Even out of his thick plate there was nothing small about Rezyl.

“Sorry, did I wake you when I left?”

“No. The bed was cold,” he said to make him feel guilty. It worked every time too by the grimace at the corner of his perfect lips. He came up behind him, “You still worried about the Moon?”

“Or something.”

Jaren put his hands on Rezyl’s shoulders. “I wish you wouldn’t.” The Moon terrified Jaren. Out in the wilds he’d sometimes look up there and... see something. He was never sure what. But something moved across its face. He never brought it up. “Its so far away.”

“It isn’t that far away. Mars is far away, Venus is far away. The Moon is not.”

“It’s far _enough_ away. You have so much to worry about on Earth still. Your Walls are finally finished. The Towers are being built. Don’t worry about the Moon,” he rubbed Rezyl’s shoulders.

“Maybe,” he allowed after a moment.

“Come back to bed. Don’t worry about the Moon,” he pulled on Rezyl’s shoulders. Reluctantly he got up from the chair, casting one last look at the Moon, before letting Jaren pull him back into the bedroom.

—

Everyone heard when a Guardian was killed in Crucible. Jaren had only just arrived in the City again with a trail of refugees from former Iron Lord territory. The old Wolves had lost all their teeth after something had obliterated almost ninety percent of their Order. But even just arrived it was the talk of the City. The Lightless were even whispering about it.

Had everyone forgotten Lightbearers could die? It seemed so impossible in the City, safe behind the Walls. But Jaren had seen it. Still saw it. Not all Lightbearers ran for the City despite the heavy boot of their Vanguard making it very clear that at this point it was join, or you left and never bothered them or the City again, or death. Everyone always forgot the death part. Most Lightbearers just joined the ranks of the Guardians.

The Guardian mess was long gone. Now it was just the cafeteria in the Tower. It was always full, all times of day. A few Hunters recognized him as he came in and they waved. He waved back and went to get his refill meal. He didn’t need it really. The Wilds were safer than ever, you could fly some places without being shot out of the sky. Not everywhere, but some places. But having a ship to hold your food reserves went a long way to making being out there not suck as much. Jaren usually gave it to the refugees when their food inevitably ran out.

He ate amid the chatter and headed for home. He had his own quarters. Jaren wasn’t sure he remembered what it looked like. He hadn’t been there in years and years. There were perks when your partner was the Vanguard Commander. He wanted to shower and relax, maybe sleep some. He hadn’t slept in a week. Since they’d gotten close to the City.

“Rez, you in? I’m home,” Jaren called, just to see. He didn’t really expect Rezyl to be here. It was the afternoon.

Rezyl wasn’t here but Vincent floated out from the bedroom. “Welcome home,” he said.

“Rez in?”

“No.”

“Then what you doing all here by your lonesome?” Jaren asked as his Ghost transmatted his gear off his body and onto a dummy against the wall.

Vincent said nothing for a moment. “Will you stay, Jaren?”

“Huh? You lost me Vince,” Jaren said, putting up the Last Word.

“Rezyl has... not been himself. I’m worried for him, for his Light.”

Jaren scoffed. “That’s funny. Rez is like the most Lightful Guardian I know.”

“Mmmm...”

“Did... something happen while I was gone?” He had been gone almost two years. The town had been bigger. The convincing had taken longer and Jaren prided himself on not leaving anyone behind to try and scrounge out a living out there where Fallen attacks were so common.

“He went to the Moon-

“He _what_ \- I told him not to do that!” Jaren cried. He’d been having so many nightmares about the Moon lately.

“I asked him not to go. I reminded him what you said. He went anyway.”

“Oh that fucker— where is he?”

“He’s in Command. There’s a meeting with the Consensus,” Vincent said.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” Jaren growled.

“I would suggest doing so after the meeting. It is to determine the fate of the Concordat,” Vincent said.

Jaren was still steamed. “Fine. _Fine_. I’ll shoot him when he gets back here,” and he went into the bathroom to at least not smell like the road. When he finished he sat in the chair in the front room and just _waited_. In silence with only his anger for company. The two Ghosts had taken up their favorite perch on a pillow a Lightless had given Jaren years ago, shells touching. They’d made it themselves and had the Traveler stitched into it. His Ghost eventually turned the lights on so Jaren didn’t just sit there in darkness.

It was after dinner when the door opened and Rezyl stepped inside. The paint on his armor was different and he was wearing his helmet. Once inside he took it off with a sigh. “Useless ass meeting,” Jaren heard him mutter and finally take in the lit room. “Jaren, you’re here.”

“Yeah. I live here,” Jaren said icily.

“I didn’t even know you were back-

“What is the matter with you?” Jaren got to his feet.

“Huh?”

Jaren walked up to him. He was a good head shorter than Rezyl but that never mattered. It didn’t matter now. “Vincent snitched you out.”

His face shifted down. “I see,” he said softly.

“What were you thinking? I know you do whatever you want but you _promised_ me you wouldn’t go to the Moon. You promised.”

“I did,” he said softly.

“So then what’s this?!” Jaren motioned to all of him roughly. “Vincent said you went to the Moon and now you’re acting weird.”

“I am not,” Rezyl frowned at that. “I’m as I always was. But I do feel that the worry I had about the Moon was unfounded. You were right.”

Jaren didn’t believe him at all. Not for a single moment. He hadn’t been having nightmares of an empty moonscape for over a century to be able to believe Rezyl. “What did you find on the Moon?”

“Nothing. Caverns and old moon bases long since picked clean by Fallen.”

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“I assure you-

“Rez, don’t lie to me. I can tell,” Jaren said, getting more and more angry with each lie. “Just tell me so I can be mad and get over it instead of you _keep_ lying to me.”

Rezyl reached down to his hip and pulled out his Rose. Except it wasn’t Rose. “I did find something. I killed it. It can’t endanger humanity anymore.”

Jaren looked from Rezyl to the gun and back. Did he not... see it? Did he not _feel_ it? “That thing is Dark,” Jaren said slowly.

“Hmm, it is a useful.”

“No you idiot, it’s evil. You know the Darkness. The thing that wiped out most of humanity,” Jaren said.

“A tool cannot be evil, Jaren. Only the hand that wields it can be. And I’m far from evil,” he smiled at Jaren softly. “Unless you think I’m evil?”

Jaren folded his arms. “No. But you are a piece of shit. You promised me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you?” Jaren had a feeling he knew where this was going. He didn’t _hate_ the idea but.

There wasn’t much he could do about it now. Rezyl had already gone to the Moon and done _that_ to his Rose. “The gun stays out here,” he said. “I don’t want it in our room.”

“Fine, fine, whatever you want,” and Rezyl unholstered it. It disappeared in a flicker of transmat. It appeared on his gun rack next to their armor dummies.

“And you have a _lot_ of apologizing to do, Rez,” Jaren said, yanking him down by the front of his chest plate so they were eye to eye.

“You know I’m good at that,” Rezyl smiled and everything seemed so fine.

So normal.

That was the last time.

—

It was a cat and mouse game.

Jaren never claimed to be the best Hunter but he could find anything, anyone. It also made him very good at hiding. And in the whole world there were a lot of places to hide and never be found if you didn’t want to be. He didn’t even have to try that hard. Rezyl wasn’t a good tracker.

But sometimes he caught up.

Jaren didn’t light fires in the dark. It attracted everything that could see it. But he couldn’t put out his Light.

The Last Word was in his hand as soon as his radar said there was something in the trees. Then out of the gloom stepped a familiar figure, lit only by the silver moonlight slanting through the trees. Jaren kept his gun pointed at the figure.

“Knew I’d catch you sooner of later,” Rezyl Azzir’s voice came out of the darkened helmet.

“You’re slow, as usual,” Jaren said, unflinching. “Do me a favor and bring out Vincent so I can shoot him first.”

Rezyl chuckled. “I’m sorry to disappoint. He’s gone.”

“You would eat your own Ghost,” Jaren said.

“Come now Jaren, I’m not _that_ much of a monster-

“You bombed a village full of women and children because you wanted to while all the men were out tending the fields. You are a monster and then some, Rezyl.”

Rezyl stepped further into his camp, heavy Titan boots snapping tiny twigs and branches underfoot. “That’s not my name.”

“I know. But it pisses you off so I’ll stick with it.”

“Always knew how to get me going, huh Jaren?” Jaren didn’t respond to him. “Just let it be over.”

“I’m good,” and he took a shot, fanning the trigger faster than Rezyl could react. The bullets all hit center mass. Rezyl went down but probably wasn’t dead. Jaren didn’t stick around to find out. He just ran, darting through the woods, barely overturning the soil. He left Rezyl behind to play cat and mouse again some other time. This game really sucked.

—

Jaren didn’t really plan to stop at Palamon. At least not for any considerable amount of time. But he really was a sucker for people who needed help Rezyl had really rubbed off on him about that. The town was small, shitty, and didn’t even have running water. It had a well at the middle of the town at least. Better than some places he’d been to that got their water from a nearby river.

But the people were nice and deserved help. He didn’t really have the time to take them back to the City but he could always call for backup. More Hunters could come and direct them to the City once Jaren had convinced everyone it was a good idea to leave and go to the City.

As usual though humans were stubborn and even when things were better if they left the shit hole they were wallowing in there were always sticklers. And Jaren prided himself on always getting all members of towns and communities to agree to come with him to the Last City.

Now and then he got reports pulled down from his ship in high orbit sent from the City. Dredgen Yor was burning a swath across west Asia, moving east. He was far enough from the City that the City didn’t consider him a significant threat to the City itself but he was still a threat to humanity.Guardians sent to ‘deal with’ Yor all ended up dead, stripped of their Light, their Ghosts empty husks lay scattered about their bodies. Exact location of Dredgen Yor wasn’t known but Hunters kept an eye on him from a safe distance. The ones that didn’t weren’t heard from again.

It kept Jaren up at night most nights. He’d lay in bed and look through the unwashed window. The moon rose over the trees through the window. Mocking him. Some nights he’d go to sleep to nightmares that would wake him sweating through all his clothes and blankets. Others he’d just get up, do a few laps around the town in full gear, make sure there was nothing on the radar. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if there was but it made him feel better knowing it was blank.

He was watching the moon that night. Dawn was almost there and Jaren had woken in the middle of the night by a nightmare and was unable to go back to sleep. Instead he’d watched the moon set, alone with his own thoughts.

He heard something in the distance.Jaren sat up and stared out the window. A noise otherwise impossible to be made by the people of Palamon.

It was the sound of a super charged Lightbearer.

He got out of bed, picking up his Ghost. “Eye up, we’re going,” Jaren said. His armor appeared on him in an instant even as he scrambled out of the house he was staying in with some very nice people who offered to house him. He snatched his Last Word from the side table as he left and was out of the house in seconds. Just as the first thunder crash hit.

He was out of Palamon before he even had time to think about where he was going. He ducked into a field high with staked tomato plants and ran for the woods. There was another arc explosion behind him. He didn’t turn and look.

Once in the trees he felt relatively safe and stopped to catch his breath.

“You’re just going to leave them?” his Ghost appeared in front of him.

“Not like I can kill him.”

His Ghost’s shell spun. “So you’ll let them all die-

“If I go back they’ll die anyway! And so will I. He’s not going to stop looking for me until I’m dead,” Jaren snapped. It wasn’t something they talked about. Vincent had told him the last time he’d seen Rezyl in the City. That Rezyl had decided he couldn’t abide by any softness in his life as Dredgen Yor. That made Jaren the top of the kill list. He’d been running since then.

“You stalled him before. You could stall him again. Long enough to get some of them.”

“They’re too slow-

“Jaren. You’re a Guardian,” his Ghost said.

“Shut up, we both know I just joined the City because I was stupid and attracted to the Commander.”

His Ghost flared his shell in anger. “You’re a Lightbearer. A protector of humanity. I didn’t raise you from the dead to be a coward. You can do something.” He could start to hear the screams now. They were distant, tinny, echoing in the pocket of humanity Palamon had carved out amid the forest. “The Traveler didn’t gasp a dying breath for humanity to be slaughtered.”

“I hate when you sound like those fucking Speakers,” Jaren said even as he pulled out his gun and headed back to Palamon. “Bring the ship into the atmosphere, transmat who I tag,” he snapped. His Ghost shimmered away, going up to his ship.

There was no burning when arc Light destroyed. It was just ash and dust. Dredgen Yor was going house to house, or what was left of them, and shooting whoever was left inside. Those who tried to run were shot in the back and lay dead in the streets. Dredgen Yor hadn’t missed a single shot.

Jaren ducked into one of the houses. Everyone was dead inside already. The next. Same thing. The next had been smashed into arc ash. There weren’t even bones left there.

Finally he found a house that pinged his radar. He went inside and found who it was. A young girl hiding in the cupboard under the sink. “Hey Wyn,” he said gently.

“Mr. Ward?”

“Hold onto this for me, okay?” Jaren handed her a transmat anchor. Usually attached to weapons it could also be used on people. “You’re going to go someplace safe, okay?”

“What about my mommy and daddy?”

“I’ll go get them next,” and he closed her back into the cupboard. The light shimmered and she was gone. He only looked in the bedroom. Her mother hadn’t even made it out of bed, her father was face up in the living room, a dagger-bullet from that Thorn sticking out of his forehead.

He kept hearing the Thorn go off. Jaren tried to get ahead of Dredgen Yor but he’d destroyed over half the town and the other half he was murdering in their own homes. There wasn’t much to save. He did manage to find a couple and get them to his ship, and a teenage boy who’d hidden under his sister’s corpse, playing dead.

There were only two houses neither of them had gone into. Jaren quickly climbed through a back window while Dredgen Yor was ‘dealing with’ the other house. Or so he thought. He looked around but got a ping even as he looked out the front door. Three members of the Malphur family lay dead four feet from their open door, trying to run.

So then where was-

He started opening all the doors and lower cupboards.

He found the youngest Malphur in the broom closet. Shin was holding onto a broom handle like his life depended on it. “No need for that kiddo,” he said. He reached for another transmat anchor but it was empty. He muttered a curse under his breath. He’d have to get his Ghost down here.

“Jaren?” Shin asked.

“Shh,” he shushed him quickly. “We’re going. C’mon,” he grabbed Shin’s hand and yanked the broom handle out of his hands.

It was just bad luck really. They crossed the path to the open doorway on the way to the back bedroom where Jaren had climbed through the broken window just as Dredgen Yor was making sure the Malphurs were really dead. For a second time stopped and the two Lightbearers saw each other.

Jaren was always a faster shot. He drew and fired three shots before Dredgen Yor even had time to react. They impacted his chest plate, staggered him. Jaren just grabbed Shin’s hand and dragged him to the back and tossed him through the shattered window.

“I need you down here, now,” Jaren said over comms to his Ghost.

“He’s very close-

“ _Fine_. Useless ass Ghost,” Jaren climbed through the window after Shin. The boy was not so young Jaren could carry him easily. That didn’t stop him from slinging him over his shoulder and running.

He didn’t get very far. A shot, at the edge of Thorn’s range, nailed him in the back. That hurt but it was the sudden pain through his entire body that felt like it was draining his Light that made him have to stop. He leaned over his knees, putting Shin down to wrap his arms around his shoulders like he could will the pain away.

“Jaren? Are you okay?” Shin asked.

“Go into the field. Run for the trees,” Jaren said through grit teeth. Shin just stared at him. “Now! Go!” Shin turned and ran. Jaren squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth before pushing the corruption out with his Light. It hurt but he wasn’t burning from the inside out.

His radar pinged behind him and he dropped into a roll just as another shot from Thorn rang out. He came back up to his feet fanning the hammer on the Last Word blindly before finding the glint off Dredgen Yor’s pristine, perfect, immaculate, armor. He hit a few times before having to reload. What the fuck had Dredgen Yor done to his armor to resist so many bullets? Last time they’d met a full clip had downed him.

That wasn’t going to work this time.

Dredgen Yor was just slowly, inevitably, walking towards him. Without his Ghost Jaren wasn’t healing. The bullet hadn’t hurt that much but that didn’t mean he probably hadn’t chipped a bone in his spine. He reloaded, snapping the cylinder closed with a flick of his wrist.

“Just give it a rest, Jaren,” Dredgen Yor said.

“I would if you’d stop being so obsessed with me you fucking idiot,” Jaren growled. He held his gun out, pointed at his head.

“Knew you’d come back for these weaklings when I couldn’t find you there.”

“Yeah, I have a bad habit of doing the right thing. Remember that?”

Dredgen Yor cocked his head in almost a thoughtful way. “I always do the right thing, even if you’re all too blind to see it.”

“You shot innocent people in the back who were just trying to run away. You’re seriously brain damaged,” Jaren said.

“There was nothing left for them in this life. I was doing them a favor-

Jaren just emptied the Last Word into him, furious. Jaren _knew_ those people. They’d wanted to go to the City. They were tired of being afraid of a wayward skiff showing up and burning their lives to the ground. Instead someone who was supposed to be good and care about their lives had shown up and killed them instead. “Shut up. Shut up you horrible hypocrite,” Jaren cried. Dredgen Yor only dropped down to a knee after taking every round to the chest and head, hurt but not dead. “Do everyone a favor and just die. That would actually help all these damn people!” He reloaded. Blood leaked out of some of the bullet wounds on his armor. It was ringed in warped Light. The Guardians he’d drained, the Light he’d eaten. Disgusting.

“Don’t be pathetic, Jaren,” Dredgen Yor said. The bleeding stopped and Jaren watched the bullets fall out of his armor as he stood up. “Even if you could kill me I’ve already laid the groundwork for what is to come.” Jaren stood there, frozen at the sudden realization at the nightmare in front of him. The Last Word was limp in his hand and he couldn’t move. He’d never been afraid before. Not really. Fear was something you didn’t know when you couldn’t die. But Dredgen Yor had no Ghost. And he’d just stood up from a full expenditure of the Last Word, healed.

He only snapped out of it when Dredgen Yor had his hand around his throat. “There’s nothing you can do that will stop me,” Dredgen Yor said so quiet and gently, like he used to whisper into Jaren’s ear at night when he woke up from a nightmare. “Now die with some dignity.”

Jaren stared into Dredgen Yor’s faceless helmet, eyes wide. Dredgen Yor’s hand was tight around his throat but he knew he didn’t want to die. Not now. Not yet.

“You first,” Jaren said and reached for all the Light he could muster. The chamber of his gun glowed as a super charged bullet full of Solar Light burned white hot in the chamber. It was a well fabricated lie Hunters liked to tell other Lightbearers that they didn’t get super charged. Reality was Hunters didn’t like their potential enemies knowing the full breadth of their abilities. That time had passed for Guardians but Jaren still didn’t know a single Titan or Warlock who’d seen a shadow bow, a solar bullet, or an arc blade.

“We’ve done this already Jaren, just give it up,” Dredgen Yor said when Jaren raised his gun.

“Fuck you,” and he fired the solar bullet right into the Dredgen Yor’s head. It exploded out the other side and the grip around his throat went slack. Dredgen Yor fell to the side and Jaren immediatly turned and ran for the trees. He didn’t doubt for a moment that he’d just prolonged that inevitability. He was full of corrupted Light, regenerated from being shot every time. There was no way that a single solar bullet would kill him.

He found Shin with his radar, clinging to a tree, staring at where Jaren had been with Dredgen Yor. “Hey,” he knelt in front of the boy. Shin’s frantic eyes looked from that spot to Jaren’s helmet. “Did you see that?” Shin just nodded. “I’m sorry,” he hugged him. Shin hugged him back. “Ghost,” he said through comms. “Get us the fuck out of here,” he let go of Shin long enough for them both to be transmatted up to the ship.

Jaren’s ship was not meant for more than one. The cabin was cramped with his supplies and other than the transmat there wasn’t a lot of places to sit or stand. As soon as they were on the ship Shin grabbed his waist. He looked at the tear streaked faces of the people who’d survived Palamon., little Wyn on Jessik’s lap being comforted “I’m sorry,” Jaren said.

“Now what?”

“I’m taking you back to the City. You’ll be safe there.”

“What about that monster? Is he gone?” the teenager he’d saved asked.

“No. But he won’t be able to hurt you in the City. We’ll protect you.”

“We wanted to go to the City, we didn’t think it’d be like this,” Jessik said, she wasn’t crying but there were tracks of salt streaking down her face.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Jaren went to some of the supplies and pulled out food, water. Sugary stuff mostly. Stuff he gave to people when they lost hope on ever getting to the City. Shin had moved to clinging to his cloak. He handed out the treats. “I know you just went through a traumatic event but I promise, life is full of Light. This isn’t the end of your lives. This is the beginning.” The defeated Lightless didn’t look like they believed him. “If you need me I’ll be in the cockpit.”

Shin stood next to his seat when he sat down, sighing inside his helmet. What a mess. What an absolute _mess_. “Did you get some?” Jaren asked the boy. He’d been behind Jaren while he handed out the candy. Shin shook his head. “Sorry about that kiddo, lemme see if I got anything up here,” and he started going through the compartments in the cockpit. He eventually found some chocolate from the last Dawning he’d been to shaped like the Traveler. “Here,” he offered it to Shin who took it silently. “You okay? Say somethin’.” Usually Shin was a chatterbox. Always talking, trying to get Jaren’s attention, bothering Jaren to show him how to shoot a gun or stories about what the world was like beyond Palamon, what the City was like. Shin just stared at him, wide eyed, holding the chocolate Traveler. He sighed softly. Yeah. Probably shouldn’t have been surprised the shock and trauma had taken his voice. Hopefully not forever. “You can talk when you’re ready, kiddo,” he pat Shin lightly on the head.

He turned away from Shin and took over the controls. He pulled the ship back up into low orbit and flew against the turn of the Earth. It was honestly faster to go around the long way than to try go against the rotation of the Earth. It still took a few hours anyway. In that time Shin had decided to sit as close to Jaren as he could and very nearly curled up over his feet and passed out from the stress of his family being murdered and then running for his life and watching Jaren almost get killed too.

He was glad when the City’s mountains came into view. The familiar sight of the Walls made him feel immediatly safe. He relayed that he had refugees from Dredgen Yor’s latest attack to air control. Tower air control gave him his flight path and he flew directly into the hanger.

The Pilgrim Guard was waiting for them as they disembarked. Titans in plain clothes with only the Vanguard and Pilgrim Guard insignia patches to denounce who they were were waiting for them. They took Wyn from Jessik and offered encouraging words to the handful of survivors.

“Hunter Jaren, you appear to have a tag along,” one of the Titans said, indicating Shin who was hiding under his cloak.

“It’s fine,” Jaren said.

“You don’t need us to take him?”

“I said it was fine,” it came out as a snap, angry. “Sorry. Run ins with Dredgen Yor are stressful.”

“You’re the only one who’d call a fight with Dredgen Yor a ‘run in’. How are you alive?”

“Lucky,” Jaren said softly. “And I’ll take Shin for now. He’s seen too much,” he put his hand on the top of Shin’s head.

The Titan frowned sympathetically. “We’re all sorry for their loss.”

“I know.”

“Excuse me,” a female Titan interrupted. She was dressed in armor, not Pilgrim Guard. “You’re Jaren Ward, the Hunter who just came in?”

“I am.”

“Commander Saint-14 wanted a word, personally.”

“Why?”

“No one’s ever encountered Dredgen Yor and come back,” she said.

He sighed. Right. “Of course. Come on Shin,” and he walked, knowing Shin would stay in his shadow. He felt the child holding onto his cloak as he followed the Titan out of the hanger and up to Command.

The three Vanguard were there, not just Saint-14. All other Lightless and Guardians had been moved out of Command and regulated to stay in the Crucible area. The Titan brought Jaren to the table. “Hunter Jaren Ward, as requested, Commander,” she said and saluted before leaving.

“And who’s this?” Tallulah asked, looking down at Shin still hiding behind him under his cloak but curiously looking from around Jaren’s belt.

“One of the survivors, his name is Shin Malphur,” Jaren said.

“The request was for you alone,” Osiris said from across the table.

“With all due respect Osiris, fuck off,” Jaren said. Tallulah laughed into her hand. “I just saved five people from a Dredgen Yor attack. Shin feels safest with me, not your PG.”

“Which is what we asked you here for,” Saint-14 said before Osiris and Jaren could get into a pissing match. Osiris, on a whole, didn’t get along with Hunters very much. He got along even less with Dredgen Yor’s former partner. Because that had been a can of worms you couldn’t close once someone found out. “How did you manage to evade Dredgen Yor when you crossed his path of destruction?”

“I shot him,” Jaren said. Tallulah laughed again. He couldn’t see Saint-14’s face but judging by Osiris’ look of disapproval that wasn’t what they wanted to hear. “I dunno what else to tell you. I just shot him,” he pulled out his gun with a habitable twirl.

“Dredgen Yor is an excellent shot. How did you get one off first?”

“No one’s a better shot than me,” Jaren said. “Say what you want about me but I always get the first shot.” He put the Last Word on the table.

“He’s not wrong,” Tallulah said before Osiris could say something annoying or Saint-14 something unbelieving. “Jaren’s one of my best guns.”

“So you just shot him?” Saint-14 clarified.

“Oh it didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re asking,” Jaren said. “But it certainly slowed him down. Blew his Traveler forsaken head up.”

“That seems dead to me. Our records show Dredgen Yor is Ghostless.”

“He ain’t dead. Trust me.”

“Because you know him so well-

“Osiris, shut the hell up,” Jaren snapped. “My relationship with former Commander Rezyl Azzir has nothing to do with Dredgen Yor. Azzir is dead and rotted on our damn rotten Moon as far as I’m concerned. If he’s got a Ghost or not doesn’t matter. I know you know he real deaths Guardians and other Lightbearers, and sucks out their Light, somehow. Well he’s full of it.”

“Run that back,” Tallulah said. “Full of what?”

“Corrupted Light from dead Guardians,” Jaren said. “When I shot him he bled black Light.” All members of the Vanguard leaned back, disgusted. “Yeah.”

“So how’d you blow his head off?” Tallulah asked.

“Solar bullet,” he said.

“Ah,” she nodded wisely.

“Sorry, what?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Tallulah waved off Osiris’ questioning. “That was some nasty damage then.”

“But I know it just slowed him down. If he’s able to take so much damage as an entire cylinder from the Last Word at nearly point blank range there’s not much that can stop him,” Jaren said. “He’ll grow his head back.”

“Sounds gruesome,” Saint-14 said.

“If it wasn’t Dredgen Yor doing it it might even be worth researching,” Osiris said.

“That’s all I got. He showed up at their town at dawn, smashed it to pieces. I managed to get some out and escape with my Light intact. That’s it.”

The Vanguard had a heavy solemn air about them at the news. “You said there were five survivors?” Saint-14 asked.

“Yes, sir. Shin here, two adults, a teenager, and another child. By the time I had arrived the rest were all dead or Dredgen Yor was killing them mercilessly.”

Osiris let out the heavy sigh Saint-14 couldn’t. “That is more than most bring back after a Dredgen Yor attack. You have our thanks, Jaren,” Saint-14 said.

“Of course. Is that all, Commander? I do need to get Shin somewhere.”

“Yes. You’re dismissed,” he said.

Jaren didn’t salute, he just holstered his gun, grabbed Shin’s hand, and walked away.

—

The City was sort of like home again. He didn’t stay there too long when he couldn’t help it. He only stayed until reports started coming in that Dredgen Yor was sighted close to the City. Rezyl had built these Walls. He knew every weak spot. Jaren left whenever he was too close and as with their cat and mouse game for the past three decades Dredgen Yor left the City unbothered. He was fixated on Jaren and just killed anyone in his way. Jaren had a feeling Dredgen Yor would set his sights on the City eventually, but so long as the last thread of Rezyl Azzir still lived the City would have to wait.

He did like returning to the City though. There was always someone happy to see him. He forwent his allotted apartment in the Wall for a Lightless apartment down in the City. Lightless weren’t allowed quarters in the Towers or the Wall.

It was shortly after dawn when he returned home and there was a light on in the kitchen. He closed the door loudly and sound in the kitchen stopped. Two heads poked out. “Jaren!”

Five seconds later he collided with the door as the two threw themselves at him, hugging him. “Yeah yeah, happy to see you two too,” Jaren gasped dramatically, one arm around each of their shoulders.

Everyone knew Shin and Wyn were survivors of a Dredgen Yor attack. It had made getting them adopted _impossible_. Too much superstition. Usually family-less children were adopted quickly, often by parents who’d lost their children. But Shin and Wyn hadn’t been as fortunate. Not even Jessik and her husband had wanted them.

So Jaren had because fuck those people.

Eventually Shin and Wyn pulled themselves off him so they could have breakfast. Jaren was really proud of them. Despite the shadow of superstition cast on them they’d grown up into perfectly capable people and were very close. Shin made breakfast with Wyn’s help and Jaren just sat at the table and took his helmet off, putting it on the floor, while he waited for said breakfast.

Wyn talked the entire time, extra excited Jaren was home. Shin just nodded now and then. He’d never quite become as talkative as he was before he’d come to the City but Jaren didn’t blame him. Wyn was a few years younger and her memory of the event wasn’t nearly as clear or traumatic as Shin’s had been. Wess, the teenager he’d saved, had killed himself shortly after being situated in the City. Watching his family get slaughtered in front of him wasn’t something he’d been able to recover from. Last Jaren heard Jessik and her husband had had a second City-born baby.

At least some things were getting better.

Breakfast came and Wyn filled the air with her sweet, idle, chatter. Shin and Jaren were both good listeners and nodded along as she filled Jaren on all the wonderfully, perfectly, mundane things she and Shin had done while he’d been gone. He liked hearing about their ‘boring lives’ as they called it. Never as adventurous as a Guardian’s life. Which was just how Jaren would want it.

Jaren helped Shin clean up after breakfast. Wyn had to go out to see a friend. So it was just them in the kitchen. “It been alright while I’ve been gone?” Jaren asked Shin.

“Just fine,” Shin said.

“Wyn not driving you crazy?”

“I didn’t say that,” Shin sent Jaren a look which made him laugh. They washed the dishes in comfortable silence. “I learned how to shoot a gun,” Shin said like it had been wanting to escape the entire time.

“What?” Jaren stared at him.

“You always go out alone-

“Don’t even say what you’re thinking. The answer is _no_ ,” Jaren said.

“Why not?” Shin demanded.

“It’s dangerous out there.”

“That’s why I learned to defend myself,” Shin insisted.

“I was only gone for five months-

“Yeah and I’ve been practicing for five years,” Shin said. Jaren blinked in confusion. Shin looked awkward. “I didn’t tell you,” he said softly, looking down. “I knew you’d mad.”

Jaren sighed. “Shin— you don’t want to come with me.”

“I do,” Shin insisted. “I know why you go out there. It’s because of Dredgen Yor.” Jaren’s mouth went thin. “Are you hunting him?”

“In a way,” Jaren said slowly. It was more he was letting Dredgen Yor hunt him and sometimes he shot him in the head a few times. Dredgen Yor didn’t even react to being shot in the chest anymore. It was headshots or nothing. He was the only one who could get close and escape. Some part of him thought Dredgen Yor got a sick thrill out of letting him go, knowing there was nothing Jaren could really do to him, or to escape him. Death was an inevitability just like Dredgen Yor.

“Let me help you-

“ _Absolutely not,_ ” Jaren said.

“That’s not fair Jaren-

“He’ll kill you-

“He already killed my family. I deserve to try at least!” Shin cried. He never raised his voice usually. “And if I die then at least I did something!”

“You’re not coming next time.”

“Then I’ll go on my own.”

“You’re going to _die_ ,” Jaren stressed. “This isn’t a practice yard. He will kill you.”

“Then I’ll have died for something.”

Jaren trembled he was so frustrated with this kid. Not even really a kid. Shin was grown now. A man who could make his own choices. He forgot how quickly Lightless grew and changed. More than Guardians. Guardians couldn’t grow or change without something traumatic happening to them. They were stuck the way they were. He’d done so much for this damn kid and he wanted to throw it all away for a _chance_.

It was the dumbest and bravest thing Jaren had heard in a long time.

“Fine,” he said. If Shin was just going to do it anyway then Jaren might as well be there to protect him. Stay one step ahead of Dredgen Yor.

Shin was surprised. “Really?”

“If you’re going to get yourself killed anyway I might as well try and make sure you won’t do something stupid like fall off the side of a mountain,” Jaren said.

Shin’s face smoothed over. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, kiddo. You’re asking me to take you to your death.”

—

Jaren had a nightmare again. Not the nightmare. Not about the Moon. No. It was a nightmare about Rezyl. Maybe because they’d been so close it was like their Light could never really let go. He always had worse nightmares when Dredgen Yor was close by.

He got up from where he’d fallen asleep against a tree. His Ghost floated over to him. “Stay here,” he said softly. His Ghost drifted back over to Shin where he was curled up around the three refugees they’d found. Survivors of a Fallen attack two weeks outside the City. They were on their way back now. The Fallen skiffs were still nearby, wandering the area during the day.

Jaren wasn’t worried about the skiffs.

He left the dark campsite and headed deeper into the woods. The moon was fat and full overhead, soaring over the trees mockingly.

In a break in the canopy stood a nightmare. The moonlight reflecting off his helmet.

Jaren entered the small clearing in the trees. “Rezyl,” he said.

“That’s old hat, Jaren, you should use my proper name.” He already had the Thorn out.

Jaren walked forward, hands at his side. He walked right up in front of Dredgen Yor. His fearlessness gave the dark Lightbearer pause. “If you’re going to kill me at least let me see your face one last time,” he said. Jaren hadn’t brought his helmet with him either.

“Heh, sentimental as always,” but Dredgen Yor did remove his helmet. It hurt to see. He was still so beautiful. But his eyes were not the eyes he remembered. There was no goodness left in them. His face flashed in surprise when Jaren reached up and held his face in both hands.

“I loved you you know, you stupid idiot,” Jaren said softly. “And look at what you did to yourself.”

Dredgen Yor scowled at him. “You can’t get away with pretty words tonight, Jaren.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’m tired of running.”

“Oh good. So you accept your fate.”

“I make my own fate,” Jaren said. “And it always started, and ended, with you,” he stroked Dredgen Yor’s perfect cheekbones with both thumbs. “Or the man you were. When you died, so did I.”

“I didn’t die. I was reborn-

“No Rez. You died on that moon of ours. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you were weak. When you needed me.”

Dredgen Yor stared at him. Unblinking. Unspeaking. Unmoving.

“I’m going to let you do it. But promise me something.”

“Promise you what, Jaren?” Dredgen Yor asked softly, intimately.

“There are some Lightless in the woods headed back to the City. Leave them be. You do that and you can do whatever you want to me.”

For the first time ever see saw a weakness in Dredgen Yor. It was one thing to shoot at your old lover when they had a helmet on. It was another to look him in the eye as he asked you not to kill some helpless civilians. “So you sacrifice your life, for theirs?”

“If that’s how you want to see it, sure,” Jaren said, still holding Dredgen Yor’s face. Dredgen Yor looked away, thinking.

“Fine. As my last gift to you I’ll let them go, this time.”

“Fine,” Jaren said softly. He sighed sadly looking at Dredgen Yor. “May you walk in the Light one day again, Rez. With me.” And he stepped back, releasing his face.

Dredgen Yor was puzzled and then he looked angry. That even after all this time. Even with Jaren presenting to be the lamb to the slaughter. Even after everything Jaren had seen him do he hadn’t broken him. He hadn’t killed the hope in Jaren.

He only heard the gunshot.


	2. Right in front of me. Talk some sense to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was writing the first chapter when I realized ‘Rezyl’s Ghost is still just chilling. And we know Ghosts can pick new Guardians.... AAAAAAAAAAAAA’
> 
> It’s basically a reincarnation story I’m not even fucking mad about it lol
> 
> Also peep the new tags and rating :eyes:

Shin was going over his Crucible bounties carefully with his Ghost. His Ghost hated keeping track of Crucible bounties but when Shin wasn’t on the hunt he lived in Crucible. His Ghost hated that too. But he’d had a few centuries to get over it. Shin still had to make sure to go over the bounties so his Ghost would remember them so when asked his Ghost could quickly give him updates on his progress.

It was why he didn’t notice the figure coming up to him until they went, “Excuse me?” He didn’t want to admit he started but he absolutely did. His fingers flicking down to the polished grip of the Last Word for half an instant before reminding himself he was in the Traveler’s damned Tower. He hated being here.

The Guardian who’d come up to him was a very tall, wide, Titan. They wore armor that looked like it had skin stretched over it. Hive skin. Shin never understood risen dead Guardian’s obsession with wearing the corpses of their kills. “What?” Shin asked. He hoped it wasn’t another fanboy. It was why he hated the Tower. Either a Crucible scrub wanting to pick his brain about Crucible tactics or someone who’d read some stupid book full of lies about him. Which one was this Titan?

“I’m so sorry to bother you,” he said, his voice deep, apologetic. Shin cocked his head to the side. Well that was a new one. Lightless usually said that before asking for an autograph after a Crucible game. He never gave them any. The Titan seemed very awkward when they didn’t say anything at first. “This is probably a silly thing to ask but have we met before?”

Shin rose an eyebrow in his helmet. “I doubt it,” he said. He didn’t like Titans much. Wasn’t quite sure why. They just bugged him. “Unless you watch Crucible games.”

“Oh, no. Not really. Again, so sorry to bother. I just have seen you around and I couldn’t help but think— sorry,” he said again.

“It’s not a big deal,” Shin said. This guy was seriously worked up he was bothering Shin. That was kinda nice actually. No one usually cared if they bothered Shin.

The Titan looked over at his Ghost by his shoulder, “You were right, Vince,” he said.

Shin’s Ghost, who as usual was hiding in his hood, poked his eye out at the mention of the name. “Hey, watch it,” Shin batted at his Ghost like an annoying gnat when his Ghost’s shell started rotating quickly, smacking him in the neck and jaw with the wings.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, I’ll leave you to what you were doing,” the Titan said. Then he practically ran away. Shin’s Ghost floated out of his hood after them a few feet before stopping, turning around, and going back to hide in Shin’s hood.

“What is up with you?” Shin asked him.

“I recognized his Ghost,” he said softly.

“Yeah well we’ve met plenty of unpartnered Ghosts.”

“I hope he’ll be okay,” his Ghost said, resting on Shin’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

“His Guardian,” he said. Shin waited. His Ghost didn’t elaborate.

“You remember what we were talking about or do have to go over them again? Morning matches for the day start in half an hour.”

“I remember them,” his Ghost said. Well good. They didn’t have to go over them again.

—

A few days later Shin was talking to Shaxx about matches. Shaxx was the one Titan Shin really got along with but that was because Shaxx could make friends with a brick wall and Shin very nearly was that so he was helpless to resist. As they were talking one of Shaxx’ frames came up holding a plain wrapped package.

“Celia, what’s this?” Shaxx asked the frame.

“I was requested to deliver this to the Hunter,” she said the cheerful mechanical lilt to her robotic voice.

Shaxx looked at Shin, “Ha! Knew you’d get admirers sooner of later despite your prickliness, Malphur,” and he slapped Shin on the back so hard he almost went sprawling. At the very least it made his shoulder numb for a few seconds.

“Who sent it?” Shin asked, taking the package.

“The Bane of Crota,” Celia said so cheerfully that Shin choked.

“What?”

“That is who requested I deliver this package.”

Shin’s mind spun. The Hive God killer had sent him a package? What? Why? The Guardian who’d done it had been the talk of the Tower for weeks. It was all anyone could talk about. Shin had no idea who they were or what they looked like or-

That Titan with the Hive armor from a few days ago.

“Well, are you going to open it? I’m eager to see what young Lee sent you,” Shaxx said with barely restrained excitement.

“What? Lee? That’s his name?”

Shaxx shrugged. “It is the one he enters in Crucible matches.”

Shin took the package. It was lighter than he expected. He opened it and was surprised when inside was a strange white capsule that could fit in both hands. It radiated a brilliant white light and when Shin moved the box a white fluid moved slightly inside the capsule. “What is that?” Shaxx asked.

“I think... it’s a Vex,” Shin said slowly.

“Radiolaria containment vessel,” Shaxx’s Ghost said helpfully.

“Lee gave you a dead Vex heart,” Shaxx said and then he laughed a great booming laugh. “It seems you have quite the admirer, Malphur,” he teased him.

“What the fuck do I do with this?” Shin asked and closed the box. Dead Vex heart. He supposed for a guy who wore dead Hive on his armor that was like a token of admiration. For Shin it was fucking weird.

“I think you’ll find many a Warlock who will gladly take it off your hands if you don’t want it-

“I didn’t say that,” Shin said, suddenly very protective of the weird Vex capsule. “Put this away somewhere,” he said and his Ghost made it disappear out of his hands. He’d deal with a dead Vex heart later. “What a weird guy,” Shin said, exasperated.

“Lee is... interesting,” Shaxx agreed.

“He killed Crota, I assume so I guess,” he shrugged. “You aren’t getting out of our conversation you know,” he added. Shaxx just sighed good naturedly.

—

The next gift came from Kadi-44. Shin never had post. Ever. He’d given specific instructions to Kadi and all other post frames that any love or fan letters, trinket boxes, or other bullshit they were to throw away immediatly. The only thing he cared about was misplaced engrams from when he was in Cruicble. A few things still slipped through. The post frames were only unintelligent robots. But it was so much better than when he used to get dozens and dozens of fan letters a week by Lightless who watched his Crucible games or people who’d read the latest stupid book about him. There was one published at least every fifty years and people remembered Shin Malphur had killed Dredgen Yor and oh he was still alive and played Crucible regularly.

They were all terribly written too.

His Ghost bugged him about going to see Kadi every day until he finally did. It better not be some stupid ass stack of fan mail or whatever a new Lightless post officer didn’t know to just trash.

“Wonderful day, Guardian!” Kadi-44 said as greeting.

“I wish Kadi, gimme my package,” Shin sighed. It was a loosely encrypted engram. Purple too. Shin didn’t remember losing an engram. “Thanks,” he said slowly, taking the engram.

He left the post station and went up to the tree to let his Ghost decrypt the engram. The cryptarchs tried to insist they were the only ones who could decrypt purples but that had only been a thing since the Moon Catastrophe and so many old Guardians who could decrypt their own engrams had been killed. Shin hated the Moon and refused to be in that strike. Shin’s Ghost still knew how to decrypt his engrams, especially one this sloppily encoded.

What came out was a gun. A beautiful hand canon to boot. He recognized Banshee’s work on a custom, his eyes wide. It had a good balance with a well worked cylinder that when he opened was already loaded and slid closed so smooth and silently he almost missed the click. The cylinder had carefully made carved roses on it. Someone had spent a lot of glimmer to get a custom like this out of Banshee. Attached to the side of the barrel was a white sticker and some very neat hand writing. ‘Maybe this is more your speed’.

“Who—

“Bane of Crota,” his Ghost said, his shell spinning excitedly. He’d never seen his Ghost so excited about anything.

“This is a nice gun,” Shin said, still looking it over. “I dunno if I’ll use it-

“You should,” his Ghost said quickly.

“Last Word still fires just fine.”

“It’s a gift, seems a shame to not use it.”

“I suppose. I do want to see if it fires as pretty as it looks,” Shin said, a touch wistful. “When’s the next round of Crucible matches starting?”

“I already signed you up. They start in ten minutes.”

“Perfect,” he unholstered the Last Word. “Put it somewhere safe, hmm?” His Ghost nodded eagerly and the Last Word disappeared in his hand. He tested how well this new gun twirled. Was a bit stock heavy for it. Oh well. Thorn didn’t twirl either. Shin peeled the sticker off.

“I wonder what it’s called” his Ghost said thoughtfully as Shin turned the sticker into ash with a little bit of Solar flame at his finger tips.

“My Speed, duh,” Shin said with a cocky smirk under his helmet.

—

Several other gifts came. None of which were all extravagant as My Speed but they were appreciated regardless. Strange shit from Venus, a fucking lamp made out of a Vex head, what was clearly some custom made bullets that were too pretty to actually shoot, and other small things like that. Shin never saw the Titan either. But from what Shin heard about him he was just barely in the Tower anyway.

It kinda annoyed him honestly. He was the damn Hunter and was in the Tower, in the City, behind the Walls, more than this damn Titan! This should be the other way around.

Shin stopped by the post counter. He didn’t have anything to pick up. “Greetings, Guardian!” Kadi was always happy to see the Guardians.

“Kadi, this is a stupid question; how do I send someone a package?”

“You may simply leave it with me, Guardian. I will ensure it gets to the correct place.”

“Cool. Can you get a package to Lee?”

Kadi cocked her head. “You must be more specific, Guardian, there are currently twelve Lee’s in the militia.”

Right. Should have expected that. “The Bane of Crota-

“He is not accepting any packages or letters at this time,” Kadi said quickly. “The Vanguard have put a block on all non engram transactions going to Fireteam Glitterbomb box’s effective four months and six days ago.”

Shin blinked. Fireteam Glitterbomb? That was what he and his squad called themselves? “So only engrams can go to him?”

“Correct.”

“Can I give you an engram to give to him?”

Kadi was very smart for a robot and she knew who was sending fucking Shin Malphur presents. “I am only allowed to send him engrams,” she said.

“Right. Thanks Kadi, I’ll be back,” and he pushed off the post stand.

“What was that for?”

“It’s weird. He keeps sending me stuff. He’s only, barely, talked to me once. Who does shit like that?” Shin asked even as he fondly reached down and brushed the handle on My Speed. Last Word was always his go-to when scrubs in Crucible were giving him a hard time and he needed to put them down but My Speed was just fun to use. It made such a satisfying click of a noise on the trigger pull. And it was so fast to reload.

“Someone who admires you. That is usually the point of a secret admirer,” his Ghost said.

“Well it ain’t a secret.”

His Ghost was quiet. “What do you want me to encode?”

“I dunno. Haven’t gotten that far. I dunno anything about him.”

“You could ask Zavala-

“I’d literally rather set myself on fire,” Shin grumbled. His Ghost laughed.

“Well he does have a fireteam. You could ask them.”

“I don’t know any members of... what did Kadi say? Glitterbomb?”

“Glitterbomb,” his Ghost nodded.

“Young Guardians get weirder every decade, I swear,” Shin huffed. “I’ll think about it. If Crota couldn’t kill him I doubt anything else will have much luck otherwise so I got time to think about it.” His Ghost nodded and tucked himself into his hood.

—

Shin knew his gift had been received and liked because the next gift was just outside his room deep in the Wall. Shin had his helmet off so he was very aware of how red his face got. A floating Vex ring had been wrapped around the stems of a dozen white roses so the flowers floated at perfect hand grabbing level. Inside his hood his Ghost sighed dreamily. “I swear you’re in love with this guy,” Shin said, snatching the roses out of the air and going into his room. He hoped no one else had seen them. He didn’t need Guardians they could just leave things outside his room.

“He seems so nice,” his Ghost said.

“We don’t even know him.”

“No. But I know his Ghost. He’s good. He’s so good,” his Ghost drifted away, shell spinning, leaving Shin holding a dozen white roses. He didn’t have a vase for this.

He ended up emptying the Vex heart into another container, rinsing it out thuroughly, and then filling it with water. He remembered his mother always said cut the stems of flowers before you put them in water. He made sure to do that.

“Woah!” Shin jumped when the rose petals literally started glowing with Light when he put them in the water.

“Oooo,” his Ghost came back around.

“What—

“They’re roses from Io. I didn’t know any of the gardens still existed,” his Ghost said.

Shin stared. “This guy is too much,” he said.

“I think it’s romantic-

“We don’t know him,” Shin stressed.

“Well who’s fault is that? He keeps sending you gifts and you haven’t tried to reach out to him once.”

“Did you miss the part last week when Kadi told him his mail box is closed to anything but engrams?” Shin huffed.

“I’m sure he watches your Crucible matches. How often are you interviewed after post matches again?”

“Ugh,” Shin hated that idea. “No. Absolutely not. I hate when they do that. Last thing either of us needs is Shin Malphur calling out the Bane of Crota.”

“Hmmm, I suppose that’s fair,” his Ghost nodded. “We could encode a box with a message in it.”

“How annoying. But yeah, I guess,” and Shin started rummaging around for some paper and a pen that wasn’t all dried up.

—

It was Hunter late in the Tower. A few cloaked figures were moving around in the shadows, restlessly not being able to sleep, heading to the hanger or down to the City. No one else was awake and even the City was asleep for the night except for beams of light illuminating the dilapidated belly of the Traveler. Shin was waiting by the tree. His Ghost had tried to talk him into not wearing his helmet but he wasn’t having it.

He checked the clock in the corner of his HUD. It was one minute before the time he’d written on the letter. He scanned the Tower courtyard. Other than a Hunter slinking down the Wall to try and pass out in their bed that night there was no one.

Then a transmat shimmered and a Titan in Hive armor appeared on the Tower’s LZ. Their Ghost flitted about their head like an excited bird. His helmeted head scanned the courtyard and then fixed itself on Shin. Shin wasn’t sure how comfortable he felt with that helmet trained on him but he didn’t move from his spot as the Titan came towards him.

The Bane of Crota stopped a few feet away to respect Shin’s personal space. How nice of him honestly. “You got my knife.”

“You got my gun,” he said. Shin’s hand brushed My Speed at his hip without thinking. He hadn’t taken Last Word into the Cruicible in a while.

Shin pushed himself off the tree. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t follow.”

“You send all random Guardians gifts?”

“No,” he said at length. “Just ones I want to get to know better,” he admitted, weirdly shy about it. “I’m Leonidas by the way, I never introduced myself before,” he offered Shin his hand to shake. “Or Leon if it’s a bit too much.”

Shin eyed him but took his hand. “I thought it was Lee?”

“My friends call me Leon.”

“Oh. I’m that now?” Shin teased him.

Leon immediatly backpedaled. “I mean- uh, if you want to be.”

Shin just chuckled. “Chill. I was giving you a hard time.”

“Oh. I’m not used to Guardians outside my Fireteam being friendly,” he admitted.

“Respect tastes bitter huh?”

“Deference more like.”

“You are wearing a Knight’s shoulder as a pauldron,” Shin said idly.

“Oh. Right,” and his entire body shimmered. The Hive gear disappeared. In it’s place was some less impressive but very well taken care of armor from the Vanguard armory. The swap was so fast and perfect Shin didn’t even see his face.

“Walking around the Tower armor huh?”

“Helps me get around unbothered,” Leon shrugged his big shoulders. “I’m sure you know the feeling?”

“Something like that.” He took another step closer to Leon, looking up at him scrutinously. He was a Titan. Shin historically didn’t get along well with them. “Yeah,” he said after a moment of silence.

“Yeah?”

“We can be friends,” Shin said and only then did his Ghost shoot out of his hood. “My Ghost’s in love with you by the way, hope you don’t mind,” he chuckled and his Ghost started looking him over, scanning parts of Leon and his armor, shell twirling.

“Ah well Vince is rather fond of your work in Crucible as well,” Leon said. At the sound of his name the Ghost in question appeared, the two Ghosts saw each other and then zipped off into the dark. “He’s been very excited about us meeting again. On purpose this time.”

“I’m not exactly scarce here in the Tower most days.”

Leon bowed his head slightly. “Yes but you always seem so busy. I didn’t want to be a bother.”

“Dude, you gave me a Banshee custom. You can come talk to me,” Shin said, exasperated with him. “How’d you convince him to do that by the way? I’ve bothered him for years to even make something close to the Last Word.”

“I just asked him?” Then Leon cleared his throat and his voice dropped to mimic Banshee’s gravely low voice, “I guess I could do that for you, Guardian. Bring me some parts. I’ll see what I can do. And all the glimmer you and Glitterbomb got.” Shin laughed. “They were not happy about that part. But they paid up,” he shrugged and it was exaggerated by his big pauldrons.

“Well I really like it,” Shin said.

“Good,” Leon said excitedly. “I see you using it in your Cruicible matches. I’m glad it works so well there. I know it’s not like your usual weapon,” he petered out awkwardly.

“Nothing’s like the Last Word. It’s a relic. My Speed is... well, it’s exactly my speed so I use it,” Leon chuckled with Shin.

Vince appeared over Leon’s shoulder. “I’m reminding you you do need to actually go to sleep tonight,” he said. “Not everyone can stay up like Hunters can,” he gave Shin a look with his one eye.

“Oh, right.”

“What? Too nervous to sleep?” Shin teased him.

“No,” Leon said too quickly, a lie.

“Alright. Whatever,” Shin said. “Also— where’d my Ghost get to?” Shin looked around and patted his hood to check. His Ghost peaked out from over Leon’s big shoulder. “Get over here, yeesh. I know you’re in love with Leon but he’s got a Ghost already.”

“They can share,” his Ghost chirped which shocked Shin he’d talk around Leon. Leon laughed and carefully plucked the Ghost from the air. Normally Shin hated Guardians touching his Ghost. He had threatened people with a bullet to the face for less than straight up grabbing his Ghost. But he knew Leon wouldn’t hurt him. He wasn’t sure why he trusted Leon but he did. He offered it into the air to Shin who casually held his hand out. His Ghost sulked but floated over to his hand.

Shin lifted the Ghost to his helmet so he could speak quietly. “You can give him my comm line,” he said. His Ghost immediatly spun up and darted over to Vince, wings fanning. They both shined in Light for a moment and then his Ghost zipped back over and hid in his hood. “Don’t just leave shit in front of my door. I don’t want other Guardians to get ideas they can just leave stuff there.”

“I didn’t think of that. I will,” Leon said. Then his Ghost must have told him what Shin’s Ghost had just done because his shoulders squared a little in surprise. “Or I’ll just give them to you in person?”

“Or that, I guess. If I’m not in the middle of a match.”

“I’ll pick an appropriate time,” Leon promised.

“Leon,” Vince said impatiently.

“Yes yes I know. I’ll see you around then, Shin,” he said and for some reason Shin felt weirdly flustered with Leon calling him by his first name. Most Guardians used his last name. He’d threatened enough busy body Warlocks with bodily harm over the centuries that most Guardians respected and feared Shin too much to not. Shin only managed to raise his hand in response before his Ghost transmatted him away.

“I like him,” his Ghost declared.

“Yes. We know,” Shin rolled his eyes.

“You like him.”

“I’ve had one conversation with him.”

“You made me make him a knife. And you sent a Titan a knife.”

“What else was I going to send him? A handful of bullets? Shit at least the knife is useful.”

“We should invite him to Cruicible,” his Ghost said. “So he can see how you use My Speed first hand.”

“I don’t play team games.”

“Make an exception,” his Ghost frowned at him.

“I’ll think about it.”

—

The gifts absolutely didn’t stop. But now Shin didn’t get them from Kadi. His Ghost would just tell him a location and Shin would meet a plain Vanguaed dressed Titan somewhere in the Tower. They’d chat for a few minutes but it always seemed like Leon only ever had a few minutes. He ran on an insanely tight time table. Shin got the feeling it was only so tight because he made a point to come talk to Shin in person and give him the gift he’d decided Shin needed that day. Then they’d say goodbye and Shin was left with whatever Leon had put into his hands.

Shin was hard pressed to say he didn’t enjoy the attention. Leon was always so courteous and aware of Shin’s personal space. He must have asked around and knew Shin liked to shoot people who got in his personal bubble. He’d done it on the Tower too and had been yelled at by Osiris, Saint-14, Zavala, and every single Hunter Vanguard they’d had not to shoot Guardians in the Tower. He’d only actually stopped when Ikora had taken him aside and had a quiet talk with him.

Ikora was the scariest woman he’d ever met in his life.

The latest gift was another gun. Not a Banshee custom but a nice gun all the same. It was... Shin hated it honestly. But he hadn’t wanted to tell Leon that. Leon had casually said, ‘It came from the Hellmouth’ and Shin wanted nothing to do with it. He never went to the Moon, he hated the fucking Moon.

“Would it be rude to dismantle it?” Shin asked his Ghost once they were inside his room.

“Yes. But you should anyway,” his Ghost said.

Shin pulled the strange hand cannon out. It reminded him of Thorn for all the wrong reasons. But it didn’t work like Thorn. Nothing worked like Thorn. The strange appearance was merely cosmetic. Shin could tell just holding it. It didn’t whisper. It didn’t burn his hand to hold. It didn’t blink at him.

“But it was a gift...”

“It’s a gun from the bowels of Crota’s Throne World. Get rid of it,” his Ghost said.

Shin shivered. “Yeah. Okay. Good point. I don’t want it,” he held it out. It dissolved into un-shining glimmer. “Don’t mix it up with my other glimmer. I want it sent to a foundry and dissipated across a large mass.”

“Okay.”

“And I have a message for Leon.”

“Recording.”

“Leon, I didn’t tell you. I really don’t like the Moon. So while I appreciate the gift I didn’t keep it. Don’t waste your time next time. End.”

“Shall I send it now?”

“Wait a few hours so he doesn’t think I dismantled it instantly,” he said and picked up the dull glimmer cube. His Ghost nodded. Shin went out again to trade the glimmer for a color he wanted more, knowing Banshee would have more use for it trading it off to a foundry than programming it himself. It made him feel better once the dull glimmer and the gun from the Moon were off his person.

He was going to head to his room again for a while but a Hunter ping clicked against his helmet. He cocked his head and opened it. Only certain Hunters could send him messages. It was text only. ‘We got some new Hunters in who dunno how to play cards. Could use a hand or two.’

“Why do I let that guy have access to my line?” Shin asked.

“Cards are fun. You like showing Hunters how to play cards,” his Ghost reminded him.

“Yeaaah, I guess. Send a message back asking location. I’ll be there.” His Ghost did so and he was pinged a few seconds later. Shin went and showed a trio of young Hunters who were grouped up at a table in someone’s room with two other older Hunters. “Okay, I’m here, move the fuck over,” and he shoved one of the older Hunters out of his chair to sit front and center across from the trio.

A few hours passed. Half he time Shin just spent cheating and counter-cheating the other Hunters so the newbies could get a grip on the cards and the rules. Shin was a better player and cheater than anyone else at the table so he was never caught.

His Ghost sounded in his ear over private comms. “Leon responded.” It took him a second to remember what that was about. The message played unprompted. “Sorry about that. I’ll keep that in mind and find something better next time,” he sounded pretty upset honestly. Shin felt bad. He misplayed and it cost him the game. The two older Hunters whooped loudly having finally beat Shin while Shin just yelled at them to shut the hell up, they were giving him a damn headache.

—

He woke up to a weird beeping. “What’s that?” Shin asked with a groan.

“You’re recieving a live ping,” his Ghost said, hovering over him.

“Who? I’ll kill ‘em.”

“You absolutely will not. It’s Leon,” his Ghost said.

Shin opened his eyes. “Okay, I won’t,” he dragged himself into a sitting position. “Answer it,” he yawned, rubbing his eyes. It was so early.

“Hello?” Leon’s voice came out of his Ghost.

“Don’t you know what time it is?”

“... It’s one in the afternoon Tower time?”

“Shit? It is?” He grabbed his helmet off the floor to look at the clock inside. It was the only clock he had in his entire room.

“Yeah. Were you sleeping?”

“Maybe. What is it?”

“You want to run a strike with me?”

Shin blinked slowly at his Ghost. “What?” Shin asked, voice thick and confused from being woken up two minutes ago.

Leon was very flustered as he said, “You know. Fireteam up? Run a Vanguard strike? I have one today for some Fallen who’ve gotten too close to the City for the Vanguard.”

Shin had never completed a Vanguard strike. Not in all his years. “Don’t you have a clan?”

“Well... yes. But I’m asking you.”

“He wants to spend time with you,” his Ghost whispered.

“Uh- yeah, sure. Uh, gimme like half an hour to wake up,” Shin grumbled, rubbing his face and neck.

“Sure!” Leon sounded so relieved. “I’ll send the location to your Ghost. I’ll see you there around fourteen hundred. Bye!”

Shin stared at his Ghost tiredly. “What’d I just do?”

“You agreed to spend some time with the Bane of Crota. A thing so many Guardians would be jealous of. Congratulations,” his Ghost teased him.

“Fuck. Gotta go hunt Fallen. I haven’t hunted Fallen in a hundred and fifty years,” he got out of bed and went and splashed his face with cold water. “Do I have any of my hunting gear still around?”

“It will need some adjustments but you do,” his Ghost said helpfully.

“Cool, make them would ya?” Shin dragged himself around his room putting on his bottom layers and some armor padding. He heard the flashing of light as he did so. Then he went into his kitchen and made some coffee. A whole pot. He drank it right out of the glass pot black. It burned his mouth but his Ghost healed him before he even had time to register the pain.

Caffeinated Shin didn’t feel quite so much like shit and his Ghost transmatted his armor onto his body. This armor was old, worn, with heavy padding and ten thousand places to hide a throwing knife. He did a few squats to make sure it still fit okay. His muscle mass had changed since the last time he’d worn this gear.

“So where are we going?” Shin asked as he picked what guns he wanted to use from a localized vault screen. While he preferred hand canons the Last Word and My Speed were dueling weapons.

“The other side of the mountains apparently. They got very close.”

“Yeesh. Okay,” he tapped on a good machine gun, a sniper rifle, and a different hand canon. His ghost shimmered as the process went through and then the three guns appeared on his bed. He legitimately only went into Crucible with a hand canon and a rocket launcher, and that was just because Shaxx made him use a heavy weapon. He put the hand canon in its holster and strapped the sniper rifle to his back. The LMG would have to be transmatted from his ship as needed.

“Okay. Let’s go,” and he disappeared in a transmat.

—

It was almost dark when Shin and Leon crawled out of the crack in the side of a mountain the Fallen had tried to establish a base in. It hadn’t been a difficult thing to do but it had been laborious.

Leon climbed up on some rocks above the crack and yanked his helmet off. “Well that sucked,” he declared loudly.

“I don’t think it was so bad,” Shin said.

“Because you weren’t in there having a boxing match with a Captain!”

“And who’s fault is that?” Shin climbed up after Leon. He’d never seen him without his helmet. He was... pretty. Human, pitch black hair pressed his head from sweat and the helmet, dark but winter pale skin from living inside full armor, and insanely turquoise eyes. Like the color of the shallow waters of the tropics. Shin couldn’t look away for a moment before he did, forcing himself to look away.

“He started it okay!”

Shin chuckled and sat with a groan next to Leon. “How long were we in that nest?”

“Hmm,” Leon looked at something on his arm. “Says its tomorrow. That’s not a sunset, that’s a sunrise,” he pointed at the twilight sky.

“Wow you managed to stay up all night, I’m impressed,” Shin teased him. Shin liked to make fun of him for having a predictable sleep schedule.

When Leon rolled his eyes it was distracting. “Not all of us can get by on two hours of sleep and spite okay? Some of us need our beauty sleep.”

“You don’t,” Shin said and couldn’t believe he had. Shit! “I mean everyone knows the Bane of Crota doesn’t sleep. He just waits,” he said to brush it off. The pause Leon had turned into a chuckle.

“Yeah,” Leon leaned back. “Fucking Bane of Crota doesn’t sleep. Wish I knew that guy. He sounds like he’s got all the time in the world.” They sat in silence for a moment. “Well I wouldn’t call what we just did fun but I wasn’t miserable about it. I’ve only see you shoot on Crucible VODs. You’re a hell of a shot.”

“Thanks. You’re not bad either. Even if you do try and get into boxing matches with every vandal like they just insulted your mother!” he cried, exasperated. Leon laughed.

“Those bugs need a good punching, what can I say?” Leon grinned at him, his teeth bright against his pale brown skin. “It’s been like twelve hours, you don’t want to take that helmet off?”

“It’s worse if you put it back on once you take it off,” Shin said. Then after a few seconds took it off.

“Well well, you do have a face.”

“Bold words for a guy who wears a Hive Knight’s skull as a helmet,” Shin said.

“Hey, it’s still a face.”

Leon turned to sit facing him. Okay? “I liked spending today with you,” he said. Shin shrugged. “What? Not as fast paced as Crucible? Sometimes its nice to take it slow, you know?”

“I haven’t gone hunting in a long time,” Shin admitted. “It ain’t really my style.”

“Ah. That’s a good name for a gun,” Leon said and that made Shin chuckle. “One in each hand,” he raised his hands, pointer and middle fingers up, rest of his hand closed, thumbs out like the hammer of a hand canon. Shin laughed again. “Shaxx would have a heart attack if you showed up with twoand cleared out all his matches.” He made gun noises, ‘shooting’ with his hand guns. Shin just put his chin in his hand, elbow on his knee, watching him with a fond smile. “Crucible legend Shin Malphur laying waste to the competition with guns from the Bane of Crota. That’d make a real headline,” Leon beamed at him.

“That’d certainly be something,” Shin agreed, amused.

Leon put his hands down. “Remember the first time I talked to you?”

“Yeah, and you were a fucking weirdo?” Shin asked.

Leon waved him off. “I’m serious. I’d seen you a few times before that and Vince was so weird about you. He kept saying, ‘I know that guy’ and I kept telling him no he didn’t. He bugged me out so much I just had to go ask.” Leon paused a second. “I’m glad I did. Because I didn’t really but... I don’t know. You seem so familiar to me. I really can’t place it.”

“Even now?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Even more now that I know you. And I’ve never seen Vince like that,” he pointed up and Shin looked up. Their Ghosts were leaving little trails of Light in the slowly brightening sky, making patterns that lasted fractions of a second. Flowers, stars, diamonds, other geometric shapes, hearts. A lot of hearts. “He’s usually a pretty quiet Ghost around other Guardians. Vanguard and Glitterbomb he doesn’t mind talking to. But others? He clams right up.”

“My Ghost doesn’t talk to anyone,” Shin said.

“Really?”

“Really. He only talks to me. And that one time, the second time we met, at the tree. He talked so you could hear him. He never does that.”

“Well we’ve well established your Ghost is in love with me,” Leon scoffed with an amused smirk.

“I’m pretty sure he likes you more than me,” and they both laughed. It occurred to Shin then that he didn’t laugh this much except with Leon. It immediatly made him self concious about it. When they quieted Shin said something he hadn’t even admitted to his Ghost. “If I’m honest... you seem familiar to me too.”

Leon’s pretty turquoise eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s like on the tip of my tongue. Even though I’ve never seen you before. And I know you’re a pretty new Guardian.”

Leon sucked his teeth. “Yeaaah,” he admitted.

“Know I don’t say this lightly. I don’t really get along with Titans. Shaxx is like the only one I tolerate and that’s just because he’s Shaxx. But I feel comfortable with you,” he said softly.

Leon’s face softened. “I appreciate that. I really do.” They sat there for a few moments. Shin was aware theyd gotten pretty close, like theyd been sharing secrets. They kinda had been. “Shin, you can totally tell me to fuck off but— I really want to kiss you, if that’s okay?”

The word, “Yes,” left his mouth before Shin even knew what he was saying. But it was what he’d wanted to say as soon as he’d heard Leon working himself up to ask. If he’d had more time to think about it he’d have said no.

Leon kissed him so lightly and softly it was like he didn’t at all. It was a careful thing, like Leon was scared of fucking it all up. Who knew a guy who killed a Hive God got nervous about a kiss.

“You could do that again,” Shin said softly. That time Leon kissed him more, his lips warm against Shin’s. Leon held the nape of Shin’s head gently as he familiarized himself with the inside of Shin’s mouth. Shin’s body flushed warm with radiating Solar Light, unable to even really control it.

Shin found a hard stone digging into his back when Leon had pushed him down. He didn’t even remember that happening. He just knew this rock was right above his kidney. It was very distracting from enjoying Leon kissing him.

“Stop,” he said. Leon immediatly stopped and sat up. He looked confused why Shin was on the ground too. “Ugh,” he sat up and dug the rock out of his armor, throwing it down the side of the mountain.

“Oh, sorry. I guess... I forgot where we were,” Leon said awkwardly.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“Sure,” Leon said, eyes wide with excitement. “Uh... where did you have in mind?”

“You sleep in your ship?”

“Usually, yes,” Leon nodded.

“That sounds fine then.”

“... Right! Okay, uh- Vince!” he cupped his mouth to yell at their two Ghosts doing lazy figure eights in the blue sky above.

Shin made sure to grab his helmet as their Ghosts drifted down to them. “What is it?”

“Bring my ship around,” Leon said.

“Oh. Are we leaving?” Both Ghosts’ shells turned downwards unhappily.

“We’re getting off the mountain. Now go get my ship, and send Ghost the transmat for it.”

Vince looked up, confused then they both spun up and disappeared. “My Ghost said he knew your Ghost,” Shin said when they were gone. “He’s legitimately never been so happy to see anything than the first time he saw Vince.”

“Really?” Leon asked.

“Yeah. I think that’s why he’s in love with you,” he chuckled.

Leon leaned over to him, “He’s not the only one,” and he kissed Shin quickly before he was transmatted out as the ship came around. Shin was still flushed as he appeared on Leon’s ship, standing. He looked around. It was a live on ship. There was a bed in the cabin, neatly made, and it was separated by a folding screen from Venus from the rest of the cabin. There was also a fucking Vex head lamp like the one he had. Favored armor and guns were hung up neatly. Everything was neat and orderly, like Titans were. They actually organized their belongings unlike Warlocks and Hunters.

“A Titan lives here,” Shin said.

“Well, yeah. I do,” Leon said, confused.

“That was an insult.”

“What!?” Shin just chuckled. “I don’t want to hear shit from you twerp,” and Shin play shoved him when Leon loomed over him and smothered him with kisses. “Not a damn word or I’ll go clean your ship up too,” he threatened.

“Don’t you dare!”

“Then I don’t want to hear any complaining,” Leon said in fake angry tone that just made Shin grin.

“I guess I can agree to those terms. If you can keep me quiet at least,” Shin said. Leon’s eyebrows went up. The next thing Shin knew he was on his back on Leon’s bed, Leon’s mouth attached to his. Now that they were somewhere more comfortable Shin didn’t mind the time it took to familiarize himself with Leon’s mouth or his hands to learn the weird shapes of his Hive armor. He worked his fingers between the gaps and seams to press his hands against the softer under layer and thermal layer, closer to Leon’s chest.

“Oh-

“That’s handy,” Shin smirked when at once both of them were sans heavy armor. They heard it form a heap on the floor. They heard the soft tinking of Ghost shells colliding softly and then silence.

Without his armor Leon was still big. Not as big as in his armor but compared to Shin he was jacked. Shin had to swallow so he didn’t drool. Shin ran his hands over Leon’s chest, feeling him up through his bottom layer which was the same as Shin’s. A well fitted black long sleeved, high collared, sweat shirt more or less. Kept everything from rubbing in weird places. Leon just watched him, enjoying the attention.

“Leon,” he said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Not to be forward but—“ Shin blushed.

Leon leaned over him and pressed a kiss against his mouth. “I want you too,” he said softly.

“Yeah,” Shin said. He’d never wanted anyone so quickly. Usually the people he had sex with were one night stands to get his frustration out or they spent literally years drawing him out of his shell and once they did found the excitement of being with Shin was skin deep. That did worry him for a moment. He put his hand on Leon’s chest, pushing him back. “Wait, first— you do like me, right?”

Leon stared at him. “Is that a stupid question?” The peanut gallery laughed from somewhere on the ship. Stupid ass Ghosts.

“I just... it’s usually not this quick for me.”

“Oh. We can go slower if you want. Some other time?”

“No,” Shin said quickly.

Leon leaned over him, “I like you very much,” he said softly, sweetly. “Even though I know you’re the prickliest, meanest, asshole Crucible Hunter the City has,” he brushed his mouth against Shin’s. “And I want you so fucking bad right now.”

“Okay. Yes. Yes yes yes,” Shin said, having never been this enthusiastic in his life. At least not that he could remember. Not about this at least.

Leon was reverent as he peeled the last layer of Shin’s clothes off. He’d never been treated like this. It was a bit over his head honestly. Shin just let it happen. And once Leon was done treating him like a special prize at the bottom of the box Shin nearly gave him a sunburn from how hot his skin burned. He’d never experienced anything like what Leon was doing to him. It made him gasp and moan like someone else was controlling his mouth, his nails drag furrows across Leon’s back and body press up against Leon’s like if it didn’t he’d explode.

He burned himself out at the end. Even Leon’s mouth felt like ice against his hot body, pressing against his sweaty stomach and chest. It made Shin dizzy. He was pretty sure he’d finished. He sighed dreamily and sagged into Leon’s bed.

Above him Leon made a noise not unlike one Shin had made and half laid on top of him, too tired to keep going. Shin was glad that if he was wrecked by that so was Leon. Shin casually played with Leon’s hair, eyes not quite open. He was exhausted. Leon hummed, enjoying the attention and nuzzled Shin’s neck and jaw.

“That was pretty good,” Leon said against his skin.

“Leon, shut up,” he grumbled tiredly. Leon chuckled into his neck. Shin needed to sleep what had just happened off. He turned his face against Leon’s and closed his eyes. He woke up a little later only because he was having trouble breathing.

He woke Leon up. “Hmmm???”

“Get up. You’re heavy as fuck and crushing my diaphragm,” Shin said, not having to put on the fact that he was short of breath.

“Huh- oh. Oh I’m so sorry,” and Leon pushed himself up. Shin took in a deep unobstructed breath. Now they were both awake. “I forgot you’re like a foot shorter than me,” and he gave Shin a soft kiss as an apology.

“Rub it in,” Shin huffed.

“I mean I can if you want,” Leon said with a charming smirk. Shin scowled at him. Leon laid down again. “That should be more comfortable,” he said and laid with an arm out to his side, an invitation. Shin just laid down right on top of him. Leon grunted. “That works too I guess,” Leon said.

“You’re warm,” Shin said.

“I do have blankets if you’re cold,” Leon said, at once worried Shin was too cold on his ship.

“Hmmm, no,” he sat up. Leon cocked his head to the side. “I know other ways to warm up,” and Leon’s eyes were wide as he nodded very quickly, understanding what Shin was getting at.

“I can’t wait to explain to Zavala why I didn’t report back as quickly as usual,” Leon said as Shin wrapped his hand around Leon’s cock.

“He’ll fucking live. Just give your report to Cayde, he doesn’t care.”

“He cares more than you think.”

“I play cards with him. Trust me, he doesn’t care what the report says beyond ‘enemies destroyed’.”

Leon looked up at him, his breathing starting to get heavy. “Wait you mean I’ve been filling out reports for Zavala in duplicate when I can just give them to Cayde?”

“He’s a Vanguard ain’t he? This is a Vanguard sanctioned strike. And what stupid ass conversation is this while I’ve got your dick in my hand? Shut up,” Shin said sourly.

Leon chuckled. “Right. Sorry. No work,” and Leon relaxed into the bed, keeping his eyes on Shin. Shin couldn’t look away from them either. They were such an unreal color. He ended up leaning down and kissing him. Leon gasped against his mouth as he moved his hips and sat back down slowly. His hands gripped Shin’s hips hard and his hips weakly bucked up into him.

“Stop. Let me,” Shin said softly against his mouth.

“O-okay,” Leon said, unsteady already.

Shin moved his hips slowly while kissing Leon methodically. He felt Leon slowly start to strain under him. The grip on his hips, thighs, and ass tightening almost to the point of painful. He could feel Leon’s body getting tight from trying to just lay there while Shin enjoyed him thuroughly, wanting to get used to him in a way that didn’t blow his Light out. He had a feeling it was something Leon would be very good at.

Shin kissed his throat and Leon’s breathing was ragged; strained and gasping, a whine high up in his throat, making the bump in his throat vibrate. His grip on Shin’s thighs was so hard his arms trembled. He wanted to move so bad but Shin had told him not and Leon was nothing if not utterly respectful of all of Shin’s wishes.

“Shin,” Leon’s voice was strained to the limit. “Please,” it came out as a pathetic little breath.

Shin sat up and Leon moaned, his thighs twitching. “What do you want to do to me Leon, huh?” Shin smirked at him.

“Say I can and I’ll be happy to show you,” Leon gasped.

Shin mulled it over, rocking slightly on Leon’s lap which just earned him pathetic little whimpers. It was almost amusing seeing him like this. But Shin wasn’t a sadist. “Okay. Show me,” he said, already anticipating what a force of nature Leon was.

He wasn’t disappointed as he was shoved up against the ship’s bulkhead at the end of the bed and fucked so hard he saw stars when he came. Unable to do anything to stop Leon from putting him wherever he wanted in whatever position he pleased. Leon breathed heavily in his ear and Shin had his legs wrapped around his waist, very nearly in his lap.

“Holy fuck,” Shin breathed as Leon was finishing. Leon was all wrapped around him, his big body curled around him protectively.

“Yeah,” Leon agreed in a tired groan. His forehead rested on Shin’s shoulder.

Shin stroked the back of Leon’s head and looked around the cabin briefly. Their Ghosts weren’t watching but they were entertaining themselves by stacking on top of each other repeatedly with soft tinkling of their shells knowing their Guardians were right there getting fucked out of their minds. They seemed to be in good spirits which for his Ghost was a shock.

He only looked away when Leon groaned and pulled himself away from Shin, laying back on his bed. “How was that?”

“You’re a menace.”

“Hey, you knew that when you started flirting with me,” Shin said and laid down on his stomach next to Leon. Leon rolled onto his side and put his hand on the small of Shin’s back, pressing his lips against Shin’s shoulder and then his mouth.

“Let’s keep this between us, huh? Don’t want the news to be Shin Malphur and the Bane of Crota are in a relationship,” he sighed tiredly. “The Lightless tabloids already run something once a month about me and a member of Glitterbomb.”

“I’m sorry,” Shin said softly. “And that’s fine with me. Ain’t none of their business.” Leon cuddled against his side. Who knew a God Killer liked to snuggle after sex? It was pretty cute really.

“You going to stay or go back to your ship?” Leon asked tiredly.

“I’ll stay, if that’s alright?”

“Yes. Please. Just stay with me,” and Leon pressed against him, pulling him close. “I just want you to stay with me from now on.”

“Okay,” Shin said softly and kissed him on the forehead. “I think I can manage that.” He perked up when one of the Ghosts transmatted a blanket onto them and Shin was grateful for it. It was cold on the ship. “Oh, thanks guys,” he called beyond the screen.

“Space is cold,” Leon mumbled and finally closed his pretty turquoise eyes. Shin didn’t sleep himself, not tired enough to do so after his nap. So he just got to watch Leon sleep instead and that was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still crying but these are happy tears :,) Leon’s such a good egg fuck

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not crying. You’re crying.


End file.
